Download Valid from Autumn 2008

ID2209 Distributed Artificial Intelligence and
Intelligent Agents 7.5 credits
Distribuerad AI och Intelligenta Agenter
Course syllabus for ID2209 valid from Autumn 08, edition 3.
Intended learning outcomes
The main goal of the course is to give students knowledge about basic methods and techniques of Distributed AI and
agent technology which, in particular, can be applied to:
- solving problems with decentralized control
- providing solutions to inherently distributed problems
-providing solutions to problems where expertise is distributed
Students should learn from the course:
1. What an agent and multi-agent system are. This means that students should get a good understanding of intelligent
agent properties and how agents are distinct from other software paradigms.
2. Have a good overview of important agent subjects:
2.1. Agent Coordination, Agent Negotiation, and Agent Communication. This means that students should learn basic
principles, protocols and languages related to these agent issues.
2.2. Agent-Oriented Software Engineering. This means that students shoul learn methodologies related to developing
agent-based systems and be able to apply them in biulding agent-based systems.
2.3. Micro (intra-Agent) and Macro (agent systems) agent architectures. This means that students should learn
princilples of building architesctures for agents and multi-agent systems
2.4. Agent Intelligence Mechanisms. This means that students should learn foundations of agent theory and get
understanding of BDI-architecture
3. Get valuable hands-on experience in developing agent systems. This means that students should be apble to apply
knowledge obtained during the course to design and implementation of an agent-based system
Course main content
Introduction and basic concepts of DAI. Coordination methods: general models, common coordination techniques,
organizational structures, meta-level information exchange, multi-agent planning, explicit analysis and
synchronization. Negotiation methods: principles, protocols, production sequencing as negotiation, conventions for
automated negotiation. Interoperability: approaches to software interoperation, speech acts, KQML, FIPA. Multi-agent
architectures: low-level architecture support, DAI testbeds, agent-oriented software engineering. Agent theory: basics
of modal logic, BDI-architecture. Agent architectures: deliberative, reactive and hybrid architectures. Mobile agents:
requirements, implementation, security for mobile agents, environments for mobile agents. Agent typology and
technology issues. Applications.
Practical part of the course includes exercises and a project involving implementation of a multi-agent system.
Eligibility
Computer Science courses 30 hp
Operating Systems courses 7,5 hp
Course syllabus for ID2209 valid from Autumn 08, edition 3.
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Computer Programming courses 7,5 hp
English "level B" (from Swedish Gymnasium) or similar
Literature
M. Wooldridge: An Introduction to Multi-Agent Systems. John Wiley and Sons (Chichester, England). ISBN 0
47149691X, 2002, 340 pp approx;
+ selected papers (an additional listing of literature will be provided in the course)
Examination
ANN1 - Assignment, 3.0 credits, grade scale: P, F
TEN1 - Examination, 4.5 credits, grade scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
Requirements for final grade
Written examination (TEN1 4.5 hp.), Grading: 3, 4, 5Homework and project assignments (ANN1 3 hp.)
Course syllabus for ID2209 valid from Autumn 08, edition 3.
Page 2 of 2